“All the houses were just flat and we just like automatically knew that our house was probably gone,” said Lane Soltero, a cornerback.

On the field, Soltero shuts down receivers. It’s one of the few places he can shut out the memory of May 20.

“I feel fortunate that our family was OK and nobody was in the house,” he said.

Soltero’s house suffered the same fate as more than 20 teammates’ houses. It was torn apart in seconds.

“That one room that she was in, her room, in her closet was still standing,” said Justin James, a running back. “That was it. That was it. It was still standing.”

James’ mother somehow survived.

“When something like this happens, you really get to know everybody in more of a personal type nature,” James said.

The team turned into a family and offered a return to normal life.

“Football’s like our second home, so that didn’t change,” James said. “Every day, you hit these dudes and they hit you. I mean, that’s what you got to do on the field, but off the field you’re like best friends and stuff.”

FOOTBALL SEASON IS UPON US, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE EXCITED. BUT PERHAPS NO ONE AS MUCH AS THE PLAYERS AND COACHES AT SOUTH MOORE HIGH SCHOOL. KOCO'S MORGAN CHESKY JOINS US LIVE FROM MOORE...WHERE THEIR FIRST PRACTICE JUST WRAPPED UP. PAUL, JESS ALMOST THREE MONTHS AFTER THE TORNADO STRUCK... PLAYERS AND COACHES TOOK THE FIELD TONIGHT ...SENDING A MESSAGE. NOTHING CAN TEAR THIS TEAM APART. 19 - 23 40 - 44 55-59 41 - 29:30 whistle, next group let's go next group let's go, 20, 20, 20 same formation same play. DAY ONE OF PRACTICE AT SOUTHMOORE HIGH... AND EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH. 40 - 29:21 run your feet til I blow the whistle, don't just stand there let's go. ONLY THIS YEAR, EVERY NUMBER COMES WITH A NAME..EVERY NAME, A STORY. 1 - 03:27 all the houses were just flat and we just like automatically knew that our house was probably gone. ON THE FIELD, LANE SOLTERO SHUTS DOWN RECEIVERS... ONE OF THE FEW PLACES...HE CAN SHUT OUT THE MEMORY OF MAY 20TH. 1 - 04:11 I feel fortunate that our family was ok and nobody was in the house. HIS HOUSE SUFFERED THE SAME FATE AS MORE THAN 20 TEAMMATES...TORN APART IN SECONDS. 2 - 10:05 that one room that she was in, her room, in her closet was still standing, that was it, that was it, it was still standing. RUNNINGBACK JUSTIN JAMES'S MOTHER SOMEHOW SURVIVED... MARKING THE START OF A SUMMER - CHANGING EVERYONE. 9 - 18:38 when something like this happens, you really get to know everybody in more of a personal type nature. A TEAM TURNED FAMILY ...OFFERING A RETURN TO NORMAL LIFE. 1 - 02:32 football's like our second home so that didn't change. 2 - 13:10 every day you hit these dudes and they hit you, I mean that's what you got to do on the field, but off the field you're like best friends and stuff 33 - 27:15 this is the foundation right here, we start on it today, yeah FRIENDS, WHO COME FRIDAY NIGHT...SAY THEY'LL BE READY. 2 - 12:12 have at least 20 touchdowns this season, that's a lot, that is. 33 - 27:37 work hard on three, one, two, three, work hard. REM-TAG THESE PLAYERS REALLY ARE REMARKABLE... THOSE WHO WEREN'T FORCED TO MOVE, VOLUNTEERED... ALL WHILE MANAGING SUMMER WORKOUTS FOR FOOTBALL. LIVE IN MOORE - MC SIG OUT